Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos: Third Quarter

Opening kickoff and Marquand Manuel is helped off the field, he is the starting free safety for Denver.

Patrick Ramsey comes in and Michael Pittman is handling handoffs.

Dibs on Ramsey's interceptions this half? I'd say two, I've got two...

Green Bay still has their first team defense on the field.

Ramsey has his pass knocked down as the Packers appeared to rush no one then, rushed nine at the last moment.

Brett Kern's punt is impressive, but is negated by the piss poor second-team punt defense and the Packers make the Broncos look like, well... The Broncos.

Green Bay Packers keep their first-team offense and the Broncos get their fifteen yards on the first play.

Wesley Woodyard stops the next play for no gain what-so-ever. 2nd and 13.

Karl Paymah's coverage on Greg Jones could have been pass interference, but Aaron Rodgers pass to Jones is out of bounds.

Next play, same play, Paymah gets called in teh end-zone for pass interference. First and goal on the one yard line.

Brandon Jackson is stopped on the one-yard line! Niko Koutouvides and Wesley Woodyard on the stop.

Jackson is stopped again by thee Denver second-team defensive line. Give Larry Birdine and Wesley Woodyard the credit.

Third time's a charm and Aaron Rodgers gets the touchdown on the QB sneak. 20-17 Green Bay, but remember that's the first-team Packers offense against the second-team Broncos defense.

UPDATE: Marquand Manuel has hurt his thumb and went to the locker room.

Broncos second-team offense stalled in their first drive, let's see where they go. Michael Pittman is wrapped up by Desmond Bishop, Pittman cut back way too early.

Patrick Ramsey's dump off to Michael Pittman goes barely for a first down, this is Pittman's specialty.

Pitch to Pittman goes nowhere, the safety Aaron Rouse stops it in the backfield.

Ramsey scrambling on the next play hits Keary Colbert for nine yards.

Ramsey's handoff to Pittman goees for negative yards and the punt team heads out.

The second-team offensive line just can't handle the pressure right now.

Packers punt returner catches the punt from Brett Kern and is knocked to the ground by his own player.

Noah Herron, Packers third-stringer, who beat a lampshade against a robber in the off-season, he nearly beat him to death. Regardless, he's now beating the Broncos to death, running for 4-10 yards at will. Brian Brohm is in at quarterback for the Packers.

Thank science the Packers brought in their second-team, because now the Broncos can compete again. Some pressure and dropped pass make it 2nd and 13 for Green Bay.

Defensive end Paul Carrington may be hurt on the Broncos side, the Broncos trainers rush out to help him.

Wesley Woodyard again in on a tackle, this #59 is an animal. However, the Broncos look like the Broncos of last year. Not able to make a tackle on a rush...

Alvin McKinley, doing his best to make a point pushes Packers quarterback Brohm to the ground as Tim Crowder bats the ball down. Domonique Foxworth breaks the 3rd down pass up and Mason Crosby is back in for 53 yards, but it's wide right.

Broncos second team offense may be clicking against this second-team defense... Pittman catches a dump from Ramsey for about eight. 3rd and 1. Ramsey bootlegs to Clifford Russell for the first down. A late hit on Patrick Ramsey gives Denver an extra 15 yards.

Clifford Russel's my guy by the way, the dark horse, Michael Pittman rushes on the next play for 15, Andre Hall comes in, first and goal from the 6.

Patrick Ramsey nearly passes for his first interception! Not quite as Ramsey's interception attempt to Clifford Russell is incomplete. Ramsey will be back though.

Ramsey hits Brett Pierce at the two yard line. That's two bootlegs in a row. Hall is still in the back field.

Cecil Sapp isn't enough to get into the backfield.

Paul Carrington- strained calf muscle done for the night as the third quarter is done.

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Denver Broncos vs. Dallas Cowboys: 3rd Quarter

Hamza Abdullah was in on the first five tackles in the first drive. Think he wants a shot back at the first team?

Rookie linebacker Wesley Woodyard's getting beat in coverage, but is still tackling well.

Defensive tackle Nic Clemons is quick for a big dude.

We could use someone like Nick Folk on our team.

Did I mention Clifford Russell is my dark horse at wide out this year? I hope we get to see a lot of him this second half. Guy can block too.

How many interceptions do you think Patrick Ramsey throws this game? I got $50 on two interceptions.

Wow, speak of the devil, see who almost came up with the blocked pass? That was Clifford Russell.

Did Brett Kern just become the number one punter or the number two?

Patrick Ramsey just can't stop throwing interceptions can he!?! Pass interference or not, that was illegal contact before the pass was thrown. I guess when you're complaining about the backup... Things could be worse.

They're running Oldman [Michael] Pittman way too much, Denver's going to be down to two running backs by the end of the game. Can Spencer Larsen play tailback?

Clifford Russell with the first down! 19 yards.

If Matt Prater misses this field goal, Mike Shanahan should just cut him here, during the game.

He keeps his job for one more play.

Jack Williams missed a pick six. Come on rookie.

Denver Broncos second-team defensive line is creating major pressure on Dallas' second-team offense and third-string quarterback Richard Bartel.

Keep it on refresh here folks.

Denver Turmoil - Gorillas in the Mist

Turmoil
Pronunciation: \ˈtər-ˌmȯi(-ə)l\
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: 1526

: a state or condition of extreme confusion, agitation, or commotion

Ever found yourself scratching at an itch? Minutes later you look down to see why that itch is burning to find a bug bit? When did it get there, why didn't you feel it, why is it throbbing so much and what are you going to do about all the swollen redness? That about sums up my 2007 Denver Broncos review.

In late February the Denver Broncos began their quest to take care of a couple of those scratches, any and every one of the Broncos fans can tell you; Out are troublesome players and veterans on their last leg.

A team that last year was one of the oldest, this year is one of the youngest, I don't agree with that transition year BS. In reality, there is no such thing as a transition year in the NFL, you're telling me that people's lives are on the line and a team's going to tell them that they're playing in a year that doesn't matter?

So Denver's defensive leaders include a man you'll hardly ever get a quote from in DJ Williams and a man who has redefined the corner back position, Champ Bailey. Could be a whole lot worse off. On the offensive side of the ball, we have future Hall of Famer Tom Nalen and the prodigal son himself Jay Cutler. That's two guaranteed Hall of Fame players, last years second leading tackler in the NFL and a man who is primed to, "Beast," this season, as the kids would note.

There are kinks and outside of Denver this is probably laughable, but inside of Denver fans know that whether Andre Hall, Michael Pittman, Anthony Aldridge or Selvin Young is carrying the rock- someone is averaging five yards plus a carry. Whether it is one player rushing for 150 yards per game or four players rushing for 150 yards per game it doesn't matter.

Worried about the offensive line? Ryan Clady looked a little shaky against Mario Williams last week? Too bad, Mario Williams is the next Julius Peterson and Ryan Clady is the next Gary Zimmerman. They've got years to go up against each other. My profound thought of the moment is that despite all of the trouble Williams gave Clady, Jay Cutler was still able to run around Williams' side for 15 yards and dive for a touchdown.

Are fans excited about names like: Wesley Woodyard, Christian Morton, LaMont Reid and Josh Barrett popping off over their 850 KOA's or the KCNC airwaves? Those are third and fourth stringers, a team is determined by their depth and if the upstarts want to shine, let them be bright.

I'm loving it and I'm loving Denver's chances. The best gauge we can possibly get this season is going up against the NFC's best attempt at a Super Bowl contender, next week in the Dallas Cowboys. I have to admit, that I ignored it last season when Dallas handed Denver their asses on a silver platter. This year it won't be ignored, the Broncos will most likely be without DeWayne Robertson, Tom Nalen, Champ Bailey and Boss Bailey this weekend, but those are four of the best starters Denver has. There are no excuses for losing this time. Wade Phillips and the Dallas Cowboys showed no mercy last preseason and I don't expect the Broncos to do the Cowboys any favors this season.

Preseason Football: Denver @ Houston: Observations

Please accept my sincerest apologies for being absent. Unless you'd like to field some questions on The Iliad, let's get to the first Bronco game of '08.

Quarterbacks:

Jay Cutler: 8-10-0, 60 yds, 1 att, 15 yds TD.
Patrick Ramsey: 8-13-2, 49 yds.
Darrell Hackney:5-8-0, 68 yds, 1 att, 16 yds.

Had Jay Cutler played the whole game, Denver victory. What do you want in a backup? A game manager or a guy who can make plays? Darrell Hackney is making a case for the latter. In the event Patrick Ramsey disappears from the roster, he might be going on a secret mission for the CIA; into Iran to overthrow the Ayatollah (who is always wide open).

Running Backs:

Andre Hall: 8 att, 45 yds, 5.6 avg., 1 rec, 0 yds
Anthony Alridge: 3 att, 20 yds, 6.7 avg, F (FR by Polumbus) 3 rec, 21 yds
Micheal Pittman: 6 att, 18 yds, 3 avg, 1 rec, 5 yds
Selvin Young: 4 att, 7 yds, 2 rec, 21 yds.

This would appear to be the committee. Their success is symbiotic with the offensive line which is brand new. Selvin Young and Andre Hall both ran behind 1st team offensive although I didn't notice if Hall was up against Houston's first-team defense the whole time. Ian predicted the emergence of Andre Hall [editors note: fist pump]. Anthony Alridge is super fast and Michael Pittman is tough inside and a capable receiver. Peyton Hillis needs to get well soon. Selvin Young needs to step up.

Wide Receivers & Tight Ends:

Tony Scheffler: 4 rec, 61 yds
Darrell Jackson: 3 rec, 18 yds
Eddie Royal: 2 rec, 13 yds
Nate Jackson: 1 rec, 11 yds
Samie Parker: 1 rec, 10 yds
Brandon Marshall: 2 rec, 8 yds
Daniel Graham: 1 rec, 7 yds

A wide receiver who didn't catch a pass, but made a big play was Cliff Russell who drew pass interference at the +3 giving the Broncos a scoring opportunity in the 4th quarter. He is still very fast as he was at Utah. Eddie Royal looked good. Tony Scheffler is a big part of the passing game as he has always proven to be. Darrell Jackson wasn't used effectively which is a coaching flaw, not his. Keary Colbert drew a pass interference penalty, too, but was otherwise ineffective. It's a good group of receivers who can give Jay Cutler a variety of players to whom to throw.

Offensive Line:

The starting line which played the first half has essentially two rookie tackles (i.e., the Ryans). Houston's upstart defensive lineman Mario Williams pushed Ryan Clady around which was a good experience for Clady. Ryan Harris drew four penalties only two of which he deserved. The illegal formation one could have as easily been given to the other Ryan or the guards. One holding call was a bogus flag thrown by a guy on the sideline who was seeing things. The false start and one holding were deserved. Not too bad; nothing that can't be fixed. In the event Montrae Holland returns and starts and Chris Kuper returns to right tackle, Ryan Harris is definitely the #6 offensive lineman. Casey Wiegmann did a good job as did Ben Hamilton. These guys need chemistry and that will only come with playing together. Stay tuned for what happens with Tom Nalen whose injuries are nagging him to the extent he is sidelined. Depth is good.

Special Teams:

Matt Prater was 3 of 4 on field goal attempts. His kickoffs mostly came down at the +5 to the goal line. Sam Paulescu's one punt was fielded 52 yards from the LOS and was returned. Brett Kern's one punt was fielded 42 yards from the line of scrimmage with more hang time and wasn't returned. Both held for extra points and field goal attempts. Eddie Royal had two kick off returns for 47 yds, Clifford Russell had one for 27, Anthony Aldridge one for 24 and Andre Hall one for 20. Glenn Martinez fielded one punt for two yards. The leading special teams tackler was Wesley Woodyard with three including the stop on Matt Turk who tried to advance a punt attempt for a first down and came up one yard short; ball over to Denver on downs-big play. Clifford Russell had two special teams tackles, and Michael Pittman forced a fumble which Cecil Sapp recovered.

Defense:

The only sack was shared by linebacker Jordan Beck and defensive tackle Steven Harris. There were no picks. Boss Bailey injured his bad ankle and his backup, Louis Green, injured his neck and suffered a concussion. The Broncos are extremely lucky to have Jamie Winborn who switched from DJ Williams backup to first team strong side linebacker and did a great job. That put Jordan Beck as DJ Williams backup where he played as weak side linebacker during the second half. Nate Webster had one tackle and two assists and a flying helmet. Niko Koutouvides and Spencer Larsen each had four assists. The most outstanding starter was Domonique Foxworth with three solo and two assists including a 5 yd tackle for loss. He is making his case. The defense was without DeWayne Robertson and Champ Bailey and very quickly lost Boss and Louis. The interior defensive line played well with Kenny Peterson logging two solos and Marcus Thomas had one. The defensive ends need to step up. I expect some shuffling/experimenting there. Ebenezer Ekuban had two solos and two assists and an offsides penalty.

The second teamers in the second half produced the leading tacklers:
Josh Barrett: 7 solo and 6 assists
Jordan Beck: 5 solo, 3 assists, 1/2 sack
Wesley Woodyard: 5 solo, 1 assist
LaMont Reid and Christian Morton had 4 solos each with the latter including a 7 yd sack.

Josh Barrett's detractors have described him as looking like Tarzan and playing like Jane. If so, Jane had a hearty meal of roast Texan Saturday night which was fresh-kill. He was in the box, often lining up over the TE in a 9 tech on the line of scrimmage. Having heard nothing about Wesley Woodyard from training camp reports, he suddenly exploded during the game making big plays on special teams and defense. On running plays these two totally attack the line of scrimmage. Josh Barrett came down the line of scrimmage several times and I didn't even notice him until he was the last guy to get up from the bottom of the pile. I had to pause the DVR and advance it one click at a time just to figure out where he came from. Wesley Woodyard and Josh Barrett also have great speed for guys their size. They seem to work well with Spencer Larsen and Jordan Beck. The linebacker depth and Jim Ryan's great coaching was very much in need and it all came through.

I expect to see more from the Broncos in next week's game with the Dallas Cowboys besides the vanilla O & D which they showed ... except not during practice ... with Dallas, that is.

CBS Channel 4 in Denver gets a C+/B- and an A for effort. The box guys need binoculars ... or bifocals. The director needs more monitors and helpers and to stop showing graphics instead of THE PLAY WE'RE MISSING. Also, how about more replays? But, hey, thanks for broadcasting the game. Do it again ... please?

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Denver Broncos at Houston Texans: 4th Quarter Notes

• Matt Prater makes his second field goal on the second play of the 4th quarter. Denver 13 Houston 16. 14:52 remaining in the game.
  
  
• WR Clifford Russell makes the tackle on the ensuing kick off return. I'd like to see this guy in at WR.
  
  
• Darius Walker's bell is run by Wesley Woodyard. A nice clean hit. I can't figure out if Woodyard's playing linebacker or safety.
  
  
• Jack Williams is called for holding, giving Houston a first down.
  
  
• Josh Barrett is once again in on a tackle, that's five that he's been in on.
  
  
• Denver's third-team defense can't figure out whether they want to be good or bad against the run. They've had flashes, but so far the bad is out weighing the good.
  
  
• Denver's finally able to stop Houston's run, Wesley Woodyard again in on the tackle. Eight men were in the box.
  
  
• 3rd and 4, off set I, Steve Slaton is stopped once again by Wesley Woodyard, stopping him three yards shy of the first down. Woodyard is in fact playing linebacker.
  
  
• Glenn Martinez is in at punt returner, he's wrapped up immediately at the 20. 10:19 left in the game.
  
  
• Tony Scheffler has a false start to begin the drive with a negative five yards.
  
  
• Anthony Aldridge gains two on 1st and 15.
  
  
• WR Samie Parker catches a Darrell Hackney toss and it's good for about 10 yards. Hackney showed poise in the pocket.
  
  
• Clifford Russell and Tony Scheffler were both moving at the same time, Scheffler kind of fell. This negates Michael Pittman's first down catch. It's 3rd and 9.
  
  
• Darrell Hackney from the shot gun, Hackney connects with Tony Scheffler who is pulled down at the 48 yard line. Hackney had to scramble from the five man rush and floats it to Scheffler. A gain of 38.
  
  
• Holding again on Denver. 10 yards back, fourth holding call on Denver. Mitch Erickson's second holding of the night.
  
  
• Hackney's in the shotgun again, pressure leads to him running, then going air born, picks up again 16 yards, but there's another flag. Penalty's illegal contact on the defense, Denver gets a first down.
  
  
• Hackney's obviously no longer content on the practice squad, rolls out on a bootleg, over throws Clifford Russell, but there's a flag- pass interference inside the five yard line. Tony Scheffler was open in the flat. 07:11 left.
  
  
• Delay of game on the Broncos.
  
  
• First and goal from the eight, Anthony Aldridge gets sandwiched by two defensive linemen who are not blocked at all. Loss of three.
  
  
• Hackney's in the shotgun, but is forced to call a timeout as the play clock pushes towards zero.
  
  
• Hackney throws behind Michael Pittman in the flat. Making it 3rd and goal from the 11.
  
  
• Deep drop, screen pass to Anthony Aldridge, who only gets three yards. Bring on Matt Prater, 06:12 left in the 4th. 26 yard attempt.
  
  
• Matt Prater is good and is 3 of 4 on field goals today. 16 all, 05:50 left in the game.
  
  
• Matt Prater's kickoff is returned at the goal line, Steve Slaton returns it out the the 39 yard-line. Prater actually makes the tackle.
  
  
• Denver's cornerback Christian Morton has looked more than good this game.
  
  
• Wesley Woodyard is another player who has looked impressive for Denver. Woodyard showed great closing speed tracking down Steve Slaton from behind.
  
  
• LB Jordan Beck sacks the quarterback! 2nd and 15.
  
  
• Jordan Beck is called for holding on the next play preventing what would have been 3rd and 15. 03:44 left.
  
  
• Wesley Woodyard again in on a solo tackle, as Houston's QB Shane Boyd rushes for a first down.
  
  
• Christian Morton hogties a Houston receiver preventing a first down. However Houston now has the ball on the Broncos 29. 2nd and 1.
  
  
• Steve Slaton runs for the first and the clock runs, Houston's slow to break their huddle.
  
  
• Steve Slaton gains 16 yards Denver safety LaMont Reid prevents the touch down.
  
  
• Two minute warning and Houston's scarily close to scoring, whether it be on a touchdown or field goal.
  
  
• A four-yard gain by Steve Slaton is stopped by new Bronco safety Vickiel Vaughn.
  
  
• A couple Broncos who's numbers have been consistently in on tackles this quarter: Christian Morton, LaMont Reid, Wesley Woodyard and Jordan Beck.
  
  
• 3rd and 4 Houston gets the first off of fullback Jamiel Cook's run, but there's a late flag.
  
  
• Denver's Jordan Beck leads the Broncos to a negative three yard stop.
  
  
• Steve Slaton is spun to the turf by Wesley Woodyard. The clock continues to tick down at sixty seconds and counting. Houston calls a timeout with 00:27 left on the clock.
  
  
• Denver prevents a bootleg, rookie safety Josh Barrett stays home and prevents a Shane Boyd rushing touchdown.
  
  
• Houston's Kris Brown kicks a game winning field goal as the clock ticks to zero. 19-16 Houston wins.

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Denver Broncos at Houston Texans: 3rd Quarter Notes

• Rookie Wesley Woodyard starts off the half with a special teams tackle inside the 20 yard-line.
  
  
• LB Niko Koutouvides gets beat by David Anderson. Makes up for it on the next play by almost stripping the ball.
  
  
• DE Jarvis Moss jumps offsides, but that didn't stop Houston from moving the sticks.
  
  
• Houston's (and former CSU Ram) David Anderson looks very good.
  
  
• Jarvis Moss may have injured his left arm on a tackle.
  
  
• Sage Rosenfels throws deep to Jacoby Jones covered by Roderick Rogers, 41 yards inside the Broncos 10. Jarvis Moss nearly had the sack.
  
  
• Rookie CB Jack Williams gets lucky that Sage Rosenfels didn't see David Anderson wide open. Williams had left Anderson wide open in poor coverage.
  
  
• 3rd and Goal from the six, Rosenfels bubble screen to David Anderson does not score. Denver's defensive tightening up when they have to. Houston settles for a field goal. 16-7 Houston.
  
  
• Clifford Russell returns the kickoff out to the 27 yard return.
  
  
• Anthony Aldridge's first carry is negated by a holding penalty on Denver rookie guard Mitch Erickson.
  
  
• Anthony Aldridge fumbles his next play, a pass from Patrick Ramsey, Denver recovers.
  
  
• 2nd and 15 wing right slot left, Anthony Aldridge gets another run, does nothing, gaining two yards. 3rd and long.
  
  
• Patrick Ramsey from shotgun hands off on a draw play to Michael Pittman, gets to the thirty. Denver will punt.
  
  
• A crazy punt return by Houston's Jacoby Jones that must have been at least 65 total yards of running from right to left, end in a fumble in which Denver's fullback Cecil Sapp recovers the ball. Sapp narrowly made it onto the field in time, looking like he wasn't aware he was supposed to be in on coverage.
  
  
• Denver lucks out starting this drive on the Texans 24.
  
  
• Patrick Ramsey passes for four yards to Michael Pittman who was playing fullback.
  
  
• Ramsey throws behind Pittman on the next play, now third down.
  
  
• From shotgun, Houston showing blitz, protection great, Ramsey's throw was tipped at the LOS by Gabe Long, almost intercepted, but Darrell Jackson just misses the catch.
  
  
• K Matt Prater attempt number two, splits the uprights from 38 yards. Field goal is
  good! 16-10 Houston.
  
  
• Houston's Steve Slanton is tripped up by Wesley Woodyard again at the 20 on the kickoff return. Woodyard was crawling on his hands and knees to make the tackle.
  
  
• Houston QB Shane Boyd fakes a toss, the entire defense bites and he gains 16 yards going the opposite way.
  
  
• Denver's defense stops Houston on 4th and short, taking over on their on Houston's 49.
  
  
• Darrell Hackney comes in just under three minutes left in the 3rd quarter. PJ Alexander is in at center.
  
  
• Hackney swings it out to Anthony Aldridge and picks up the first down.
  
  
• Anthony Aldridge takes a hand off and splits to the sideline for a gain of 20 yards.
  
  
• Darrell Hackney makes a good move, holding onto the ball and tossing it out of bounds on a broken play.
  

3rd Quarter Notes:

Positives: Darrell Jackson, Josh Barrett has been all over the field, Wesley Woodyard looks like he's going to make an immediate impact on ST. Darrell Hackney continues to look better than Patrick Ramsey. Cecil Sapp had a very heads up ST play.

Negatives: Anthony Aldridge didn't look too good before his 20 yard run. Keary Colbert needs to do something quick.

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Preparing for the 2009 NFL Draft; pars octava:

Before continuing with this purely subjunctive, speculative and mostly imaginary (only the football players aren't) exercise, let's take a moment for some relevant considerations. The rounds in which the players discussed here may be drafted are mostly guesswork. For sure, it's based on measurables, production, level of competition and other stuff (e.g., character considerations), so maybe you could call it educated guesswork. Estimating how many and which Juniors come out in '09 and where they may plug into an anticipated draft order is like voodoo divination.

The League has been cool to allow fans to peek into the process, but the teams themselves jealously guard their evaluations and draft boards, especially the criteria by which they arrive at those conclusions. Plus, no team is monolithic in their thought processes. Within each club are factions which argue and struggle between and during their times on the clock. Between now and the end of April '09, much can happen. An entire college football season is yet to be played. Players will emerge to have impressive performances not only in big games, but over the course of the year. Injuries will occur and, unfortunately, so will arrests and dismissals. When the selection process begins, thirty-two different points-of-view will be presented in each round requiring quite a bit of reassessment on the fly. The draft itself is a game inside a game inside a game.

In '08, for example, who would have thought no WRs would be taken in the first round and that the first would be Donnie Avery from Houston? More CBs were drafted than most draftniks had predicted: five in the first round; six in the second; four in the third; NINE in the fourth; four in the fifth; one in the sixth; and, three in the seventh for a total of THIRTY-TWO! That's close to one-seventh (c.14%) of all players drafted at that one position. Chevis Jackson, CB, LSU was taken by Atlanta at #68 in the third while Steve Johnson, WR, Kentucky, who tore Chevis (and the SEC) up in '07, wasn't drafted until the seventh round (#224) by Buffalo. Denver surprised it's own fans (something I always enjoy) by drafting Eddie Royal, WR, VaTech in the second round and Jack Williams, CB, Kent State in the fourth.

The '08 draft pool was very deep before a bunch of great Juniors joined it. It was a good year for the Broncos to have nine draft picks. The quality of the CFAs is also testimony to the great depth of '08. Studying the probable '09 draft pool has led me to believe that it won't be as deep as '08 even when adding the anticipated group of Juniors. CFAs in '08 would probably be drafted in '09 (e.g., Wesley Woodyard and Anthony Alridge). I'm not exactly sure how many draft choices the Broncos have in '09. I'm assuming seven, but are they due any from other teams or by compensation? Don't know. It also isn't completely clear what Denver will need to give the NY Jets for DeWayne Robertson. Seems as if it might be conditional on how much he plays involving anywhere from a 4th or 5th to a 6th or 7th round pick. I sure hope it isn't a fourth because if you'll reread "pars septima", the fourth round of '09 is expected to still have a bunch of good football players.

Another unpredictable is whether or not Mike Shanahan will trade up. He'd tell you he isn't even worried about that right now because TC and the season are here. He'll study it after the season. He has a whole staff of college scouts on it. FS, G and TE should still need help in '09. Question is, how well the RBs, MLBs and DL do in '08? What will the CB situation be as regards resignings, FA and salary cap? The fourth round in '09 could be used to address any of those. I really think that every other year the Broncos should try to keep all of their picks and even acquire some more. They have been accumulating many young players, but there is a limit to how many rookies a team can absorb. It takes two or three years to properly evaluate rookies and most of them seem to be signing three or four year contracts. Drafting ought to be an exercise in choosing guys who have a good chance of making the team as '08 seems to be. Alternate years could be used to target players for whom to trade up (usually requiring the loss of draft choices) as in '07.

Here are some possible fifth rounders for the Broncos to consider in 2009:

• Jaison Williams, WR, Oregon, 6-4, 240, 56 rec, 844 yds, 8 TD in '07. [*Ducks' leading receiver] Seems big enough to be an H-Back or TE, doesn't he? So are Brandon Marshall and rookie Lorne Sam. If the Broncos feel the need for a big receiver, here's Jaison. If he gains over a thousand yards in '08, he might be worth it. Dropped passes seem to have been an issue. Guys his size shouldn't worry about the coverage. On the contrary, he should be terrorizing the secondaries. We'll be watching.
  
  
• George Hypolite, DT, CU, 6-1, 288, 49 tkl, 6 sk, 5.5 tfl, 1 pbu and 1 int in '07. After the "jumbo" experiment with DT in '07, he seems small, but have you seen him play? This dude has a motor. I'm thinking he would fit with Denver's new DL concept. He could become one of those three-hundred pound bowling balls I think the Denver DL needs. Besides, when a DT comes in on rotation, he needs to bring some game and not just hold the fort.
  
  
• DeAndre Wright, CB, UNM, 5-11, 193, 36 tkl, 1.5 tfl, 9 pbu and 3 int in '07. If the Broncos decide to add another CB in '09, I would prefer Londen Fryar, Western Michigan, listed as a fourth round prospect. If however, another need is addressed in the fourth, this Lobo could be worth it depending on the CB position situation Denver finds itself in next Spring. As much as the Mountain West throws the ball, their DBs are usually pretty good.
  
  
• Will Johnson, DT, Michigan, 6-5, 290, 40 tkl, .5 sk, 2 tfl in '07. Plays for a big school with the biggest stadium in a big conference. Need to keep tabs on him in '08. Michigan will probably play the 3-3-5 D that Rich Rodriguez used at WVA. DL in that D are usually sent to a designated gap on each call (e.g., slant, angle, pinch). That could be considered a good preparation for the style the Broncos may use this season. By the way, Will's one of those academic awards guys, too.
  
  
• Jorvorskie Lane, FB, Texas A&M, 6-0, 278, 169 att, 780 yds, 16 TD, 12 rec, 115 yds, 1 TD [*as a RB] Mike Sherman is moving him to FB in '08 which will put Lane and TB Mike Goodson in the backfield together for obvious reasons. It remains to be seen how Jorvorskie will adapt to a different position where he will have plenty to do (blocking and receiving) without being handed the ball. Sherman is probably looking at his roster and saying to himself that a 280 pound back: a) better be a blocker; and b) needs to lose some weight. Lane has a reputation for slacking in the offseason, but maybe a new coach and a new attitude will change that. FB was a need for the Broncos last year. Peyton Hillis will have the opportunity to become a pro fullback which consists of blocking, special teams, blocking, receiving, blocking and carrying the ball occasionally followed by more blocking. Sometimes big RBs who have been accustomed to running the ball have difficulty becoming the multi-dimensional player a FB must be. Maybe a real pro coach can turn Lane into a real pro FB.
  
  
• Andy Levitre, G, Oregon State, 6-2, 324. A college tackle who projects to G in the NFL and can play C as well. Interchangeability is a necessity for NFL OL and this guy could play T or C in a pinch. Sometimes fans try to pigeonhole OL in one starting or backup spot. Truth is you start your best five and if one of those goes down, bring in #6 and shuffle if necessary. I hope the Broncos will have drafted a G before the fifth round in '09, but if not, Andy might be there. He probably compares to Montrae Holland. Oh, and he's one of those academic awards guys, too.

If the Denver Broncos end up having to give a draft choice to the Jets for DeWayne Robertson, I hope it's just a sixth or seventh because it looks like the '09 pool of players holds up fairly well through five rounds. A reasonable 2009 draft through five rounds for Denver might look something like:

• 1st: Courtney Greene, FS, Rutgers;
• 2nd: Mitch Petrus, G, Arkansas;
• 3rd: Bear Pascoe, TE, Fresno State;
• 4th: Scott McKillop, MLB, Pitt or Devin Moore, RB, WYO or Londen Fryar, CB, Western Michigan;
• 5th: George Hypolite, DT, CU or DeAndre Wright, CB, New Mexico.

Quantitatively the Broncos may need to draft more defensive than offensive players in '09 ... maybe.

Preparing for the '09 Draft; pars quarta:

If you have read the first three parts, especially "pars tertia", we have attempted to establish a rational basis for discussing the '09 NFL Draft. Previously, a likely group of players of interest for the Broncos was presented drawn only from college Seniors in '08. What happens when Juniors come out? It changes much and reshuffles the overall ranking of players. Look what happened prior to the '08 Draft. A bunch of Juniors joined an already deep group. There were several highly regarded RBs among them. They (McFadden, Mendenhall, Stewart, Rice) crowded into the upper echelons of the pool and changed the order. Had that not happened, I doubt if the Broncos would have been able to pick either Ryans (Clady or Torain) with the picks they utilized.

What will happen in '09? Juniors will come out as they have regularly done. How many will impact the first round of the Draft? Hard to say because all of them won't come out, but a guess would be 8-10 first rounders. What this may do is shuffle Seniors of interest to the Broncos within their reach. It may also introduce a new player of interest for whom Denver might be willing to trade up. What Seniors of interest might be shuffled within reach? As indicated in "pars tertia", Duke Robinson, G, OU and Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest might be considered, especially the former. Just as a Clady is seldom available, the same could be said for Duke and it might solidify Cutler's blind side for years to come. Another FS for whom the Broncos might trade up is William Moore, FS, Missouri, 6-1, 224, 117 tkl, 2 sk, 7 tfl, 6 pbu and 8 int in '07. Due to its depth, '08 was a good year to acquire many rookies, but the need for quantity vs. targeted quality will pass eventually.

Could there be Juniors of interest for whom Denver might trade up? I'm thinking Taylor Mays, FS, USC, 6-3, 225, 65 tkl, 6 pbu, 1 int in '07. I think, on paper anyway, that he makes me think of ... Josh Barrett? Which is another thing we won't know until the end of this year; how will Barrett do? A stellar season on his part could change the outlook on the '09 Draft. What about Brandon Spikes, ILB, FLA, 6-3, 242, 131 tkl, 1.5 sk, 14.5 tfl and 7 pbu in '07? Make anybody think ... Al Wilson? Again, we don't know how Niko Koutouvides and Spencer Larsen will do in '08. If MLB moves up as a priority, I would expect the Broncos to be interested in Spikes and Laurinaitis and Maualuga as well. On the other hand Niko and Spencer might do so well that MLB could be moved to the back burner for awhile. Shanahan will only contemplate trading up for a certain player who is so good at a certain needy position that sacrifices will be made in order to obtain him.

What if Barrett and Wesley Woodyard are doing well as FS and box S, and Koutouvides and Larsen are fine at MLB/ST? An influx of highly regarded Juniors might bump some Seniors from the first to the second round. The presence of Mays and others might push Courtney Greene (who might actually be every bit as good a FS) to the second round. It's a possible scenario. In it, Denver might be able to get Robinson and Greene thus filling a couple of definite needs with well-regarded prospects.

Linebackers & Special Teams

Since the demise of Al Wilson, this position has been in need of help. At the conclusion of '07, the only definite was DJ Williams, but exactly where he should be in the LB Corps was under debate (not to be confused with salmon eggs & nightcrawlers). At MLB, DJ had 170 TT in '07, almost double that of SLB, Nate Webster, with 100. Nate was surrounded by players with high tackle numbers: Champ Bailey (81); John Lynch (62); John Engelberger (59) and Nick Ferguson (56). Is it possible they (especially the DBs) were picking up a few he should have? I always thought it was a bad sign when the DBs were making a large number of tackles.

DJ is now at WLB where many feel he will dominate. Boss Bailey was brought in at SLB not only replacing Webster, but bumping him to MLB due to the excellence of Jamie Winborn. The void at MLB has Niko Koutouvides (FA/Seattle), Spencer Larsen (6th round/Arizona) and Nate Webster as candidates. In the recent mini camps, Webster worked with 1st team D, but none of it was w/hats & pads. Many expect Webster to compete with Koutouvides to be the starter. Some have predicted that Webster making the team will be trouble for Jordan Beck.

This reminds me of those predicting Travis Henry (who?) would start at RB in the season opener. I'm over 300 miles from Englewood (GO PIRATES! I student taught there) and have no access to practices. I'm not Jim Ryan, in whom I have great confidence. It's presumptuous to boldly predict who will and won't make the team. Having said all that, you expect something, don't you? Of course!

My take is that if Larsen plays ST well and looks promising in the middle, he makes the team. Ditto for DJ, Boss, Koutouvides and Winborn. Also listed as a LB is Wesley Woodyard (CFA Kentucky). Wearing #59 it seems that he is , for the moment, a LB. He could be a candidate for SS/Monster/Rover to follow in the cleat marks of John Lynch. Let's wait until we see if his number changes or if he is listed as a S. He's a strong, young defensive player who has a chance to impress on ST just as Larsen does.

Special Teams! Yeah, how did that go in '07? Not well from my perspective. I see a slew of young, fresh legs headed toward TC who have the chance to impress with ST play. Speaking of ST, who was leading ST tackler in '07? Jamie Winborn. Who was #2? Jordan Beck by only one stick. Are we counting on our fingers yet? That's right. Including Wesley Woodyard and Louis Green, whom we haven't mentioned (3rd in ST tackles, one behind Beck) the Broncos have nine LBs going into camp. Beck, who went to a pretty tough school academically (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo), is 25 years old and has a pretty impressive set of wheels for a LB. His ST play in '07 is still in the mind's eye for me. Wasn't he a 3rd round pick of the Falcons in '05?

I can't see into the future as Homer's immortal gods, but methinks a pattern is developing. The Broncos are on a serious youth movement. ST needs some headhunters, too. Young guys are good at ST. If Nate Webster doesn't start at MLB and if Larsen (MLB) makes the team ... I don't know if Nate will survive the last cut. From backup LB to starting MLB to starting SLB to fighting for MLB doesn't sound very settled (kinda like his helmet). How many LBs will Denver keep? My guess is six (two each of WLB, MLB and SLB) and the backups better be ST aces. Green at 28 years old seems to have a better chance of making the roster than Webster (30) although he seems pressed, too.

Let us not forget that Spencer Larsen was in the process of learning FB as well as MLB which must mean he knows how to block (as well as having brains). How many ST do you think he'll be on? All of them. It's a gut feeling on my part, but I think Woodyard will move to SS. Let's observe his ST performance closely during preseason.

Nate Webster is nothing if not an all-out totally enthusiastic football player. However, if he doesn't beat out Koutouvides, he'd better beg for the chance to shine on ST. Niko was ST captain in Seattle so you'd expect him to be on at least one. That reminds me of something I haven't seen much of lately, and that is talk of the truly fierce competition for position combined with ST implications. Morituri te salutamus. Let the games begin.

Broncos Defensive Expectations

Defense, especially against the run, was a big problem for the Broncos in '07. Jim Bates and his defensive philosophy have come and gone. Some seem to think that Mike Shanahan knows nothing about defense and has to find a DC that he can trust, from whom he can just walk away and be completely hands off. If that was ever the case in the past, which I doubt, '08 will be a season where coordinators and assistants will look up and see Mike in their position practice, at meetings, etc. He has always been hands on with the O and I think he is going to be all over his whole team in '08 (including ST).

Having said that, what does Mike Shanahan want his defense to be? It seems obvious that he is much more comfortable keeping an opponent's running game shut down, or at least greatly inhibited, rather than the other way around. That makes sense for a former option QB who, as an OC and head coach, clearly likes to run the ball.

There are two widely used defenses currently seen in the NFL: a variation of the Oklahoma 50 which most call the 3-4; and the split front 4-3 w/two corners and two safeties which many teams employ in cover 2. Since someone on another site mentioned it, I've been thinking. It has to do with Shanahan's inclination to keep one of the safeties in the tackle box. We saw this often in Larry Coyer's D. Another Bronco fan commented that it's really more like a 4-4. I finally snapped. That's very similar to the split six D run for years by the HS team I used to help. We called it the 60.

The split-six (4-4) is excellent at stopping the run. Years ago many of our opponents ran the Wing-T offense and our 60 was good against it if the players avoided certain bad habits. Option teams used to cause problems, but the 60 was pretty good vs. the run if coached, called and played properly. Our opponents started throwing more, but as long as we had good corners and a good FS, cover 3 worked well along with cover 1, 0 and variations ... , but never cover 2.

Many NFL teams use cover 2 in some form, but I haven't seen the Broncos use it much. With the personnel they have, I guess the corners could be inverted to take deep halves and position the deep safety where the deep halves start to pick up a receiver running post up the seam. This S would need to: cover, break on the ball and hit hard. One approach to attacking cover 2 might be X and Z fade and Y post out of pro or some formation w/X & Z on opposite sides. Then switch it up: X fade , Y chair, Z post; X post, Y corner, Z curl, etc. If the Y is a TE, then run must be respected. Which is what needs to be done against cover 2 teams ... run the ball.

There have been indications that Denver's '08 D will line up in a split front with three backers and a S (SS?) in or near the tackle box. The front seven or eight will play a gap control run D in which the DL will often slant, angle, pinch, gut, loop as well as jam and slide some. There will be blitzes (not on 3rd & long, I hope) and twists. Every conceivable zone coverage will be seen along with cover 3, 1 and zero. Cover 2 might even be thrown in rarely.

Preparing the D for a game is much more time consuming than O. Some NFL teams can change their offensive or defensive personality from week to week. I've seen the Pats do it. However, each team's personnel (including coaches) is the center of gravity from which they won't stray too far. Pretty soon the Broncos will need to start grooming a young box safety and a new deep safety. Could this be what they have in mind for Wesley Woodyard and Josh Barrett?

Broncos Special Teams Improved?

Spencer Larsen warms up during Team Camp.

Yep... However, I was looking for a Matt Prater highlight for this very blog, let's just say it didn't go well. The only thing I could find was a horrible shank that he had last year for Atlanta. I want to pull for Garrett Hartley (OU Rookie F.A.) to make it as our Kicker, he was nominated for the Lou Garza Award (best college Kicker), but despite having the best statistics he did not win. Hey, if Jason Elam made it in Denver and he was from Hawaii, why not Hartley from Oklahoma?

A lot of our free agent/draft signees, I cannot see contributing anywhere else other than special teams. Look at Spencer Larsen or Wesley Woodyard. Those guys are here to bust some heads on Kickoffs and Punts. Obviously there's Eddie Royal, there's also Anthony Aldridge who should contribute on Kickoffs, as well as Jack Williams who could as well. Hell, maybe even Peyton Hillis will be out there (everyone knows the story of how Terrell Davis got noticed) cracking skulls as he chases down an opposing team's Punt Returner and blocking on Kickoffs.

Also, there's Defensive Tackle Josh Mallard challenging Mike Leech as the Long Snapper on Punts. If you watch the Chicago game, which many people did, because it was just on NFL Network last week, in both Touchdown returns Leech missed tackles on Hester very early on. If he could have simply got in the way, maybe we win that game and we're 8-8 instead of 7-9. Which at a certain point in the playoff hunt would have gotten us in.

Anyway, looking forward to see the new Special Teams this season, a little worried about the Kicker and the Punting situation... Even before Jason Elam left, I love him, but it was his time to ride off into the sunset. Our Punting may not have been great before we cut Todd Sauerbrun, but it was scary after.

Eye On- Denver Linebackers

I was writing a recent report grading the entire Broncos Defense, where I was also predicting who would be the starters at which position. Short of some training camp mishaps or a player coming out of nowhere it's fairly safe to say that Champ Bailey and Dre Bly will return as the starting corners in Denver, Marcus Thomas and newcomer Dewayne Robertson will most likely handle the Defensive Interior. Then at Linebacker we can look forward to Free Agents Boss Bailey and Niko Koustividas at the SAM (Strong) and MIKE (Middle) positions, respectively, and as Coach Shanahan stated DJ Williams would return to his natural position at the WILL (Weak) position... Or can we?

All the excitement the Broncos generated by bringing in Champ's brother Boss, spilled over to Koutouvides and fans seemed to forgot about Nate Webster and Jamie Winborn. Webster is coming off a stellar season, in which he accounted for nearly 1/10th of the team's tackles, finishing with 100 Tackles, 77 being solo. He is entering into his 9th season and is capable of playing any of the Linebacking positions. Last year he played well at SAM, he even had a better season than Boss who played SAM in Detroit. Bailey's statistics have steadily decreased since his rookie season in 2003, this is not because of injury, he's only missed six games in four seasons.

Winborn also had a decent season last year, playing as a backup, he managed 34 tackles, 27 solo. Which is more than Koutouvides, but they don't play the same position. Then we drafted Spencer Larsen out of Arizona and quietly picked up Brandon Archer off of waivers from Indianapolis. Though Archer does not threaten anyone’s starting position at this point, he is quite capable of filling a gap quickly and two years ago led the Kansas State Wildcats in tackles for three straight seasons.

Back to Larsen, besides just being a rookie whom Bronco fans would love to emerge as an immediate impact at Linebacker, what is he capable of? He’s a mad man, head hunter or as one NFL Scout referred to him as a “thumper,” I might be audacious enough to compare him to Tedy Bruschi. It looks as if he’ll have an immediate impact on Special Teams, most fans by now know that he is the same age as Brandon Marshall, old enough to be going into his second or third season professionally and already having a family. In college he was known to be able to realize a play quickly and immediately adjust to stop it. The NFL is the NFL though and diagnosing plays instantaneously is not a likely crutch Spencer can fall back on.

Here’s the kicker though, Shanahan has already asked Larsen if he’s willing to try Fullback. However this conversation may or may not have taken place before the Broncos drafted Peyton Hillis in the 7th round. The common factor between Larsen and Koutouvides is the number of games they have started at Middle Linebacker in the NFL-
zero.

One more candidate to add to the corps is undrafted free agent Wesley Woodyard, who some of projected to be a Cato June or Derrick Brooks type of Linebacker. Perfect for a Cover-2 or Tampa-2 Defense… Some say he’s undersized, may be better as an “in the box,” Strong Safety, some say he’s just not good enough, big enough, strong enough to even make it in the NFL at all. Scout projections like those applied to Woodyard are eerily similar to the way that Elvis Dumervil was graded coming out of Louisville as well. There didn’t seem to be a scout outside of Denver who wasn’t saying that Dumervil would need to switch to Linebacker to succeed in the NFL.

So who will do what? What will be the most interesting battles come training camp? I say Koutouvides first of all, keep an eye on Middle Linebacker, not only is Larsen capable of pulling ahead and winning the position battle, but Webster is also probably not looking to return to Special Teams and middle looks like the weak link on the chain which ultimately will get him back into the starting lineup. Boss Bailey also may have his hands full sealing off the strong side with Webster and Winborn breathing down his neck.